Karnataka High Court has directed the Centre to take appropriate steps to prevent media outlets from broadcasting or publishing false and defamatory content against actress Harshavardini Ranya and her father, K Ramchandra Rao, a DGP rank officer in the Karnataka government.
The order comes amid ongoing legal proceedings related to a gold smuggling case in which the actress has been arrested and placed in judicial custody.
The case stems from an incident at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru, where authorities allegedly confiscated gold bars worth Rs 12.56 crore from Ranya Rao.
Following this, a search at her residence reportedly led to the discovery of gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore.
On March 12, Ranya Rao's mother, H P Rohini, had approached the civil court, which subsequently issued an ex-parte order restraining the media from making any statements against the actress until June 2. A similar directive was later issued by the High Court based on a plea filed by her father.
However, the family contends that certain media outlets have continued to publish sensational and damaging content despite these judicial directives. Their plea before the High Court argues that instead of objectively reporting on the investigation, the media has engaged in character assassination of the accused.
During the hearing, the High Court was reminded of its previous intervention in Renukaswamy murder case, in which Kannada film actor Darshan Thoogudeepa is an accused, where it had instructed media houses to exercise restraint in their coverage.
In response to the plea, the High Court issued an emergent notice to all media houses named as respondents in the petition. Additionally, it granted interim relief to Ranya Rao, effectively reinforcing restrictions on defamatory coverage.
Before concluding, the court indicated that it may establish guidelines outlining the precautions and safeguards that central investigation agencies must follow while handling high-profile cases, particularly in relation to media coverage across print, electronic, audio, and visual platforms.
The matter has been scheduled for the next hearing on April 8.
